The former police chief of Medina has filed a $14 million wrongful termination claim against the wealthy Seattle suburb, accusing the city manager and mayor of racial prejudice.

Chen, who is Asian, says the city manager referred to him as “you people” and said the mayor also made an inappropriate comment about his ethnicity. He says he was fired in retaliation for exposing salaries hidden by the city manager.

The city says it cannot comment on the claim or personnel matters, but it says Chen was fired for using the city’s archive email system without authorization and voiding some traffic tickets. He says he had authorization and followed city policy.

KOMO reports that Chen says his firing destroyed his career. The city has 60 days to respond to his claim.